OK, OK. This isn't a fly post but it is a kayaking post. Spent 6 nights and 5 days at Panama Kayaking Adventures with the editor of Sportfishing Magazine and the publisher of InFishermen, along with a couple other unsavory types. The lodge was on the Cambutal Peninsula about 6 hours by car and 2 hours by boat from Panama City and completely off the grid. Excellent fishing value, by the way.
Awesome lodge. Fishing was TOUGH. I blame El Nino and the full moon for the fishing. Currents were ripping, water was super clear and there was no bait.
The daily drill was load up into a panga with 3 Hobie Outback Mirages. They would shuttle us up or down the coast. We'd climb into the kayaks. Typically, we'd chuck huge poppers at the rocks in the morning then pedal offshore to where they would place a buoy on some structure. Not a place to fly fish frankly, unless you like throwing marlin poppers on a 14 weight then donating your entire rig to a cubera twice a day. Then load up and head to a beach for lunch and a siesta. Get back in the boats and repeat the morning drill until sunset. We would pedal about 5-6 miles a day. Which is pretty manageable if you pedal kayak already.
Got blanked the first two days. Had two take downs trolling in the yak with fish that I never saw or turned on buttoned down 80 pound spinning rigs. Only caught fish on the 3rd day because I took off chasing bonito. Caught a mess of them to save that day, much to the guide's chagrin.
The fourth day it went off. Had plenty of blow-ups fishing the rocks and caught two bluefin trevally, a new species for me. Moved offshore to a big pinnacle and caught two jack crevalle and a bunch of small snappers and groupers. I couldn't get any photos as I dropped my gopro overboard the first day. It is probably still taking time lapse photos in about 200 feet of water. We then had lunch and moved spots to another offshore pinnacle. I stayed in at the rocks but pedaled out just in time for the current to stop running a million miles an hour and immediately hooked a 20 pound yellowfin on a speed jig in about 90' of water. Landed him, bled him and pedaled back to the buoy and immediately hooked a 40 pound cubera snapper on the next drop. It was the biggest fish for the group for the trip. Again on the same blue and pink 60g speed jig. We ran out of daylight and had to head back to the barn. The last day saw a bunch more jack crevalle's on huge poppers, a 10 pound yellowfin and a 20 pound amberjack. Not high numbers on the week or on any one day, but a great trip. The scenery and the location were amazing. If I had to pick a spot to completely disappear, this would be it. No roads. No people. Plenty of water. Mangos and coconuts everywhere.
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Michelle Basch